MASTER’S THESIS

Master thesis: sport spectator preferences
The goal of this thesis is to support sport with practical results in order to activate
creative processes for developing customized event experiences and marketing
strategies to raise benefits.
The next chapter gives a detailed introduction to the specific problems of judo in
Germany as part of the interactive structure, the magic rectangle.
1.1 The magic rectangle
This paper is about “Sport spectator preferences” inside the magic rectangle between
sport, media, economy and sport spectators. The magic rectangle shows
the transaction possibilities between four subsystems (Hagenah, 2004). To explain
the transaction possibilities on the micro level the theoretical background of
sport management it is relevant to understand how value can be created in the
market field of sport, economy and media. Sport has reached a small, but relevant
economic factor in Germany and worldwide (Fischel, 2005). There are four
forms to show the interdependence between sport and economy: the valueideology,
the cooperation and the transfer and regulation relationship. The valueideology
is about the transformation of sport structures, to forms of economic
rationality and benefit optimization. This means that sport has to conform to market
factors. The cooperative relationship shows the conjoint economic interests,
like sport sponsoring. This field is open for new products and sales markets. The
transfer relationship creates the value of exchange between two sides, like a
sport club and sport associations or sport club and its sport spectators. The regulation
relationship consists of legal regulation in this the transfer relationship to
keep the transfer between both sides in balance (Heinemann, 1995, p. 248). The
economic relevance of sport is not to be underestimated. In 1990, sport took 1,
4% of the gross value creation in Germany (Heinemann, 1995, p. 250). In the
economic relevance of sport the media industry is an important sector to create
value in the transfer relationship. Sport media marketing has important role in the
relationship of associations, sport clubs, sponsors and spectators. Media is the
mean of sport organizations to do commercialization and there are different business
models in the sport media section, for example broadcasting of sport content
and sport rights management (Gröppel-Klein & Germelmann, 2009, p. 531).
The change in media industry has also impact on the sport media industry and
sport value ideology. The changes in technology, convergent, globalization,
Introduction page 2